Dirk Nowitzki told Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News on Thursday that he plans on playing season No. 21.
“I’m not going to say 100 percent I’ll be back — but it’s looking like it,” Nowitzki said. “I feel fine so far. I’ve played every game. I’d love to play all 82. That would be amazing at [age] 39. We’ll see how the body feels. But so far, it’s been fine.”
He’s said for years now that as long as he stays healthy and is still having fun, he wants to keep playing. The Mavericks are just 8-21 this season and are on the outside of the playoff picture, but Nowitzki is still enjoys competing and his body has cooperated to this point. He’s averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and a career-high 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. Hopefully, though, the team can get healthy now that the schedule is beginning to lighten up a bit, and maybe Dallas can go on a run.
“I signed up for, obviously, two years to help the franchise push through that and get better,” he told Sefko. “I didn’t think we would be sitting here 10 [games] over .500. I mean, I wasn’t delusional. We felt like we might have a shot at sneaking into the playoffs. And we still do. We’ve played the toughest schedule in basketball to this point. As long as my body feels fine like it has so far, with no setbacks like last year when I missed two months, I’m looking forward to hopefully fulfilling my contract.”
If he does return for a 21st season, he’d be the first player in NBA history to play that many years for only one team. Currently he’s tied with Kobe Bryant, who spent 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. Tonight the German legend will appear in his 1,424th career game, tying Kevin Willis for sixth on the all-time games played list. If he does play all 82 games, by season’s end he’ll tie Karl Malone for fourth place at 1,476. Returning for a 21st campaign would also put Nowitzki into a favorable position to pass Wilt Chamberlain for fifth place on the all-time scoring list, although Dirk doesn’t really concern himself with such things.
Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle cited Nowitzki’s decision to sign a two-year deal this summer as evidence to suggest he’d return for a 21st season, so he isn’t exactly surprised by the revelation. Still, he would love to have the legendary big man back.
“I’m hoping like crazy that he plays another year because having him here is one of the really special experiences in coaching,” Carlisle told reporters Thursday night in Oakland. “As far as the message it sends to the other guys, it’s pretty clear that if you want to be as good as you possibly can be in this league, do what this guy does on a day-to-day basis — everything from diet and nutrition to taking care of your body to doing everything possible to keep your skill level where it needs to be. He’s impeccable, the best I’ve ever seen.”
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